Hever Castle

Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, is located in the village of Hever, Kent. The Castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens.

After the execution of Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife, owned Hever Castle. The building subsequently passed through various owners. During this latter period of ownership the castle fell into a poor state of repair. The ruins was saved by one of the most richest American millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who bought the Castle at the beginning of 20th century and the period of repair and renovation started. He used the Castle as a family rewsidence. More than 700 men participated in the reconstruction of the Castle and other 800 men continuously worked on creating the lake. The workmen were not allowed to use the modern equipment in order to maintain the original feel of the castle. 

William Waldorf Astor used the Castle as a family residence. He built the Italian Garden to display his collection of statury and ornaments. Since 1983 the castle has been owned by Broadland Properties Limited. It serves as a conference centre but the castle and grounds are open to the public. 

Thanks to the diversity of plants in the gardens, you can visit the gardens in any season.

It takes pride to be Winners of Garden of the Year 2014 by South & South East in Bloom, in the Heritage Parks & Gardens category.